Sound reducing device for a coffee grinder and other kitchen appliances

ABSTRACT

A device and a method for reducing or muffling sound from kitchen appliances such as coffee grinders. The sound reducing or muffling device can be left on the appliance even when not in use, providing a decoration to the kitchen in a style appropriate to it&#39;s surroundings. Using the muffling device, a person can enjoy fresh-ground coffee at any time with the assurance that the sound from the coffee grinder is well insulated. The device is particularly easy to deploy and use, requires no moving parts, and is flexible enough to work with the majority of coffee grinder products currently on the market. Other embodiments can be used with other forms of kitchen appliances.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority from provisional application “SOUNDREDUCING DEVICE FOR A COFFEE GRINDER AND OTHER KITCHEN APPLIANCES”Application No. 60/317,346 filed Sep. 5, 2001, and which application isincorporated herein by reference.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to kitchen appliance covers, andparticularly to a device for reducing or muffling sound from appliancessuch as coffee grinders during operation of the appliance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many people like to start their morning with a fresh cup of coffee, apractice that is widespread throughout the world, and particularlythroughout Europe and America. The United States is the largestindividual coffee-consuming nation in the world, drinking approximatelyone fifth of the 14 billion total pounds of coffee grown worldwide,which translates to an average of 500 million cups of coffee everysingle day. Every year in the United States more than $5 billion ofroasted coffee is sold nationally, making coffee the second mostvaluable item of international trade after petroleum.

The American National Coffee Association recommends that coffeeconsumers purchase their coffee as soon after it has been roasted aspossible, since fresh roasted coffee produces a better cup of coffee,and that they purchase coffee in small amounts—only as much as can beused in a given period of time. When whole bean coffee is used it shouldbe ground as close to the brew time as possible for best results.Increasingly nowadays, more and more people are following theserecommendations, as coffee has become an important component of theirdiet and social life. In recent years specialty coffees have become moreimportant with better beans and darker roasts, and these premium coffeesnow account for 20% of the roasted coffee sold in the United States.

It is apparent from these statistics and recommendations that to brewthe best coffee, and particularly to get the most out of what can be anexpensive investment in specialty coffee, that one should buy whole beancoffee and grind that coffee just prior to brewing. Only then can themaximum benefit be obtained. This simple fact has generated huge salesin home coffee grinders over recent years, most of which areunfortunately quite noisy in use. Noisy coffee grinders may seem like asmall inconvenience, but given that so many people enjoy their coffeeearly in the morning, often when others in the household are fastasleep, there exists a huge problem—how to grind and brew the bestcoffee without waking everyone else up? In general, coffee consumerswould like to enjoy the best, freshest ground coffee, and maximize theirinvestment in premium coffee beans, without causing an annoyance toothers with the noise of their coffee grinder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention addresses the needs of those people who prefer to grindtheir own coffee, and particularly those early morning risers or otherswho are inconvenienced by the sound of their coffee grinder. Generally,the invention relates to kitchen appliances and covers, and specificallyin one embodiment to a device for reducing or muffling the sound fromkitchen appliances such as coffee grinders. Additionally, the mufflingdevice can be left on the appliance even when not in use, providing amuch welcome decoration to the kitchen in a style appropriate to it'ssurroundings. Using the muffling device, a person can enjoy fresh-groundcoffee at any time of the day with the assurance that the sound from thecoffee grinder is well insulated (i.e. reduced). The invention isparticularly easy to deploy and to use, requires no moving parts, and isflexible enough to work with the majority of coffee grinder productscurrently on the market. Other embodiments can be fashioned within thespirit and scope of the invention so as to work with other, non-standardcoffee grinders or kitchen appliances.

In one embodiment the invention comprises a sound reducing or mufflingdevice for a coffee grinder, comprising: a housing having asubstantially cylindrical shape, said housing including an open end, anda roof end; a sound reducing material within said housing; and, whereinsaid housing may be placed on a coffee grinder, and pressure applied tosaid roof end to activate said coffee grinder with the sound reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a sound muffling device in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows another illustration of a sound muffling device inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows another illustration of a sound muffling device inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a cutaway illustration of the sound muffling device of FIG.1.

FIG. 5 shows an illustration of a coffee grinder for use with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows an illustration of a coffee grinder with a muffling devicein accordance with an embodiment of the invention deployed therewith.

FIG. 7 shows an illustration of a coffee grinder being used with amuffling device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The United States is the largest individual coffee-consuming nation inthe world, with the national population as a whole drinking an averageof 500 million cups of coffee every single day. Research has shown thatcoffee consumers are increasingly preferring the freshly ground variety.Given that so many people enjoy their coffee early in the morning, oftenwhen others in the household are fast asleep, there exists aconsiderable problem in how to allow them to grind and brew the bestcoffee without waking up everyone else. An embodiment of the inventionaddresses the needs of all coffee drinkers and particularly those earlymorning coffee drinkers who prefer to grind their own coffee, inproviding a device for reducing or muffling sound from coffee grindersand other kitchen appliances. The muffling device is particularly easyto deploy and use, requires no moving parts, is flexible enough to workwith the majority of coffee grinder products currently on the market,and can be left on the appliance even when not in use, providing a muchwelcome decoration to the kitchen in a style appropriate to it'ssurroundings.

FIG. 1 shows a particular design of such a muffling device referred toin one embodiment as a “gruffler”, adapted for use with a coffeegrinder.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a more detailed illustration of a sound reducing ormuffling device 100 of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

As shown in FIG. 2 the muffling device 100 comprises a substantiallycylindrical shaped structure 102 that functions as a housing orenclosure. Although in this example the housing 102 is shown as havingan oval cross-section to reflect (and conform to) one of the more commondesigns of coffee grinders on the market, it will be evident to one ofskill in the art that other cross sectional areas may be equally usedincluding square, circular, or irregular cross sections. The housing canbe made of a flexible material that conforms to the shape of the coffeegrinder, so that an exact shape, size or fit is not essential. Thecurved sidewalls of the housing define a first end of the cylindricalstructure 102 includes an opening 108 to allow the device to be placedover, or to receive, a kitchen appliance such as a coffee grinder. At asecond, peripheral or top end of the cylindrical housing 102, a roof 104is attached or bonded to the housing along the sidewall edge 106, givingthe entire apparatus the appearance of a cylinder with an open end and aclosed end. The typical dimensional for the housing 102 shown are aheight of six inches and an external width of five inches, although itwill be evident that any size or dimension may be used to accommodatethe variety of coffee grinders on the market.

The housing 102 and the roof 104 may be fabricated of many types ofmaterials including, for example, a nylon back-pack type material,fabric or cloth, plastic, or any other equivalent material. Thecharacteristics of the material used should be that it is flexibleenough to accommodate a variety of kitchen appliances or coffeegrinders, and also that it can withstand the normal wear and tearcommonly found in kitchens and in the work place. An additional benefitof using a nylon, cloth-like or plastic material to cover the device isthat the exterior of the housing may be tailored or patterned to suitthe particular kitchen, work place, or any other location in which thedevice is to be situated. In some embodiments multiple colors anddesigns can be used to allow the owner or purchaser of the product tocustomize the appearance of their muffling device to best suit theirsurroundings. Alternative embodiments of the invention may use a housingmade of a hard or inflexible material such as metal, chrome, or hardenedplastic. In these embodiments the housing can be made wide enough toaccommodate a wide variety of coffee grinders without the need forflexibility in the housing itself, or an internal flexible liner canprovide the necessary flexibility and conformance.

Typically, the roof 104 is made of the same material as the cylindricalhousing itself. If the materials used for the housing are cloth or nylonback-pack material, then the binding 106 can be a simple stitching bond.If plastic materials are used for both the housing and the roof then aglue or a heat bind element can be used instead. It will be evident toone skilled in the art that although specific design elements aredisclosed here for the purpose of illustration, the invention is notlimited to using these specific materials and that other materials maybe used both for the cylindrical housing element and the roof whileremaining in the spirit and scope of the invention.

Additional embodiments of the invention may include locations for logoplacement at, for example, areas 110 and 112, or any other suitable areaon the surface of the housing. In this manner, the muffling device canbe customized with marketing materials such as, for example, the name ofthe particular manufacturer of coffee grinder, or perhaps a coffeevendor. A loop element 114 can in some embodiments be included to allowthe attachment of labels and price tags. The loop element 114 may bemade of a cloth material or paper material that also allowsmanufacturing information, such as origin of manufacture to be attachedto the device.

FIG. 4 shows a cutaway illustration of the sound reducing device of FIG.2 that shows the internal structure within one embodiment of the device.As shown in FIG. 4, the housing may comprise additional layers,including, for example, an outer covering layer 116 made of a cloth-likeor plastic material, and an acoustic layer 118 which serves the purposeof reducing or muffling the sound from the kitchen appliance or coffeegrinder. It will evident to one of skill in the art that the layersshown are those needed to practice one embodiment of the invention. Inother embodiments other layers may be added or may replace those shown,including, for example, custom cover layers or custom fit layers, whileremaining within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Within the roof 104 a stiffening element 120 is used both to providerigidity to the roof and to assist in using the device with a coffeegrinder, the process of which is described in further detail below. Thestiffening element has a shape roughly equivalent to that of the roofitself and may be either substantially flat or domed. Additionally, thestiffening element may be bonded to the roof or may instead be enclosedbut freely moving within a roof layer.

The acoustic layer can be, for example, a perforated acoustic foaminterior or an equivalent sound muffling material known to one of skillin the art. Such materials commonly in use include Audioseal, andAuralex, although equivalents may be used. The acoustic layer isdesigned to muffle sounds emanating from the kitchen appliance. Testswith the invention have shown that sounds from appliances such as coffeegrinders can be substantially reduced by using the muffling device.

FIGS. 5 through 7 show an illustration of a sound muffling device inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention being deployed with atypical coffee grinder, and the coffee grinder being subsequently usedwith the sound muffling device in place.

Particularly, FIG. 5 illustrates a typical coffee grinder device thatmay be used with the invention. As shown in FIG. 3A the coffee grinderdevice 130 includes a body 132 and a lid 134. Typically the lid isfabricated from a transparent material to allow the user of the deviceto see the coffee as it is being ground. The lid may be removed to allowcoffee beans 140 to be loaded into the device. A power cord 138 provideselectrical power to the device. As shown in this example the coffeegrinder also includes a power switch (on/off) mechanism 136 which allowsthe user to apply power to the device and to grind the coffee.Typically, although not always, the switch mechanism 136 is a simplepush button device affixed or embedded within the roof or lid 134. Whenthe switch mechanism 136 is depressed the device switches on and thecoffee is ground. When the switch mechanism 136 is released, the deviceturns off. It is during the normal operation of the device, i.e. whenthe switch mechanism 136 is depressed, that the most sound or noise isgenerated. It is during this time that the invention provides the mostbenefit.

FIG. 6 illustrates the sound muffling device deployed upon the coffeegrinder. As shown in FIG. 6, the sound muffling device 100 is simplyplaced over and upon the coffee grinder 130. Since the cylindricaldevice 100 may or may not totally cover the coffee grinder 130, aportion of the body of the coffee grinder may protrude from the housing.This does not impinge upon the performance of the muffling device to anyconsiderable extent. Enough space is left beneath the bottom of thecovering to allow the power cord 138 to extend from the device. Sincethe muffling device is made from lightweight cotton or plastic material,the weight of the device as it sits on the coffee grinder is by itselfnot enough to depress the power switch or to operate the device. In thismanner, the muffling device may actually be left on the coffee grinderwhen the grinder is not in use, without activating the on/off mechanism.

FIG. 7 illustrates the actual use of the coffee grinder together withthe sound muffling device. As shown in FIG. 7, the device is now fullydeployed upon the coffee grinder. Additional pressure 150 may be appliedto the device by the user, in a downward direction so as to depress theon/off switch and to cause the coffee grinder to activate. Since thehousing 102 substantially covers the coffee grinder, the sound from thecoffee grounder is muffled. In this way, a user can grind coffee at anytime in the day without experiencing the typically annoying sound thataccompanies such an operation, and particularly without fear ofdisturbing others in the household who are still asleep. To switch offthe device and retrieve the coffee, the user pressure 150 is removed.This causes the on/off switch to be released and the coffee grinder toswitch off. When powered off, the sound muffling device may be removed,and the coffee retrieved from the coffee grinder itself.

Although the foregoing description of the invention includes details ofspecific materials, shapes and colors, it will evident to one of skillin the art that alternate designs may be used while remaining in thespirit and scope of the invention. Particularly, the housing materialitself may be comprised of many different layers to provide additionalsound muffling or custom color and fit, or of a single housing andmuffling layer material. The sound muffling device may also be soconstructed to accommodate coffee grinder devices that have side mountedon/off switches instead of top mounted on/off switches. Similarly, thesound muffling device may be so constructed to accommodate the widevarieties of shapes and sizes of coffee grinders currently on the marketor envisioned to be on the market in the near future. While theplacement of logos are shown for purposes of illustration, it will alsobe evident that additional logos and marketing designs can be applied tothe sound muffling device in accordance with the requirements of themanufacturer and/or the end user.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

Embodiments of the present invention allow for full functionality of anappliance such as a coffee grinder, while the appliance is completelyenclosed within the soundproof housing. This offers several advantages,notably that it allows easy operation of the appliance in a simplemanner, while reducing the sound of such operation. The sound reducingdevice is lightweight, easy to manufacture, and capable of being formedin a variety of shapes and designs, while still offering the utility forwhich it is intended. Custom covers can be used to suit surroundingenvironments, such as the overall kitchen design. The invention can alsobe used with other appliances and devices that can be operated by meansof a push-button mechanism.

The foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention hasbeen provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It isnot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the preciseforms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent tothe practitioner skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen anddescribed in order to best explain the principles of the invention andits practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art tounderstand the invention for various embodiments and with variousmodifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated. It isintended that the scope of the invention be defined by the followingclaims and their equivalence.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for reducing the sound of a kitchenappliance, said apparatus comprising: a housing having a substantiallycylindrical shape, said housing including a curved sidewall defining anopen bottom of said housing configured to receive the kitchen appliance,said curved sidewall further defining a closed peripheral top end ofsaid housing, wherein said housing includes a sound reducing material; alaminar insert stiffening element located within said peripheral topend, wherein said stiffening element is a laminar plastic insert; and,wherein pressure can be applied to said stiffening element to activatesaid kitchen appliance.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said soundreducing material is an acoustic foam.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2wherein said acoustic foam is bonded to said housing.
 4. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein said housing is fabricated from a material thatflexibly adapts to the contours of said kitchen appliance.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said kitchen appliance is a coffee grinder.6. An apparatus for operating a coffee grinder while at the same timereducing the sound from said operating; comprising: a housing having asubstantially cylindrical shape, and fabricated from a material thatflexibly adapts to the contours of said coffee grinder, said housingincluding a curved sidewall defining an open bottom of said housing forreceiving said coffee grinder, said sidewall further defining aperipheral top end of said housing enclosure; a sound reducing materialwithin said housing; a switch engaging mechanism including a laminarinsert located within said peripheral top end, which when said coffeegrinder is received within said housing, said switch engaging mechanismis in mechanical communication with an operation switch of said coffeegrinder, wherein said laminar insert is made of a stiffened plastic. 7.The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said switch engaging mechanism can beused to operate said coffee grinder from outside of the housing.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 6 wherein said sound reducing material is an acousticfoam.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said acoustic foam is bondedto said housing.
 10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said housing isfabricated from a material that flexibly adapts to the contours of saidcoffee grinder.